SOURCE: AFI
India is poised to join an elite group of nations—comprising only the United States, Russia, and China—by acquiring Russia’s state-of-the-art Voronezh Over-the-Horizon (OTH) radar system, a move that could significantly enhance its strategic defence capabilities. Priced at a staggering $4.5 billion (approximately ?40,000 crore), the Voronezh radar, proposed for deployment at Chitradurga in Karnataka, offers an unprecedented detection range of 8,000 kilometers vertically and 6,000 kilometers horizontally.
This acquisition, reported by Indian media, would enable India to detect stealth aircraft, fighter jets, ballistic missiles, and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) launched from adversaries like China and Pakistan, providing critical early warning and situational awareness across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and beyond. As India navigates tense border dynamics and regional threats, the Voronezh radar promises to be a transformative asset, aligning with the “Make in India” initiative through 60% local manufacturing.
India’s current radar systems, primarily ground-based, face limitations due to the Earth’s curvature, which restricts detection ranges and reaction times. For instance, the Israeli-supplied Green Pine radar, used by India’s missile defence system, has a range of 500 kilometers and can track 30 targets at speeds exceeding 3,000 meters per second. India’s indigenous Swordfish Long-Range Tracking Radar, an advanced derivative, extends this range to 1,500 kilometers, supporting the Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) and Advanced Air Defence (AAD) systems. However, these systems are tactical, designed for shorter-range threats, and provide limited warning time—often as little as 30 seconds for targets obscured by the horizon, as highlighted in defence analyses.
Over-the-Horizon radars like the Voronezh address this gap by emitting high-frequency radio waves that reflect off the ionosphere, a layer 48 kilometers above Earth charged by solar radiation and X-rays. This enables detection of targets beyond the line-of-sight, offering reaction times of several minutes against ballistic missiles or stealth platforms. The Voronezh’s ability to cover vast areas, including China’s missile deployments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Pakistan’s tactical ballistic missiles, makes it a strategic necessity for India, especially after the 2020 Galwan clash heightened tensions with Beijing.
Developed by Russia’s Almaz-Antey corporation, the Voronezh is a phased array radar system operating across multiple frequency bands. The Voronezh-M functions in the very high-frequency (VHF) range of 150–200 MHz, ideal for detecting stealth aircraft with low radar cross-sections, while the Voronezh-DM operates at ultra-high frequency (UHF) up to 3,000 MHz, enhancing resolution for ballistic missile tracking. Its modular, prefabricated design allows rapid assembly—within months—compared to years for older systems, as noted by Russian defence sources.
With a vertical range of 8,000 kilometers and a horizontal range of 6,000 kilometers, the Voronezh provides comprehensive coverage, rivaling the US’s PAVE PAWS radar, which safeguards North America from missile threats. Russia currently operates eight Voronezh radars across its territory, with deployments in Kaliningrad, Leningrad, and the Far East, ensuring all-round early warning. India’s planned installation at Chitradurga, a hub for DRDO’s aerospace testing, would cover China, Pakistan, and the IOR, detecting threats like China’s DF-21D “carrier-killer” missiles or Pakistan’s Shaheen-III ICBMs well before they enter Indian airspace.
The radar’s significance, with one user stating, “India’s potential buy of Russia’s Voronezh radar could make it the 4th nation with OTH capability, giving a massive edge against China and Pakistan’s stealth jets and missiles.” Another post highlighted its cost-effectiveness: “$4.5B is steep, but the 8,000km range and 60% local manufacturing make it a strategic steal for India.”
India’s radar inventory includes advanced systems like the Green Pine, acquired from Israel to support the Arrow missile defence system, and the Swordfish, developed by DRDO with indigenous transmit-receive modules and signal processing. The Swordfish’s latest iteration, deployed in 2024, boasts a 1,500-kilometer range, surpassing the Green Pine and tailored for India’s ballistic missile defence (BMD) needs. These radars played a critical role in tracking and intercepting simulated threats during DRDO’s Phase-II BMD tests in 2023, as reported by The Hindu.
However, ground-based radars are constrained by line-of-sight limitations, as demonstrated by a 2023 incident in Israel, where a Yemeni rebel-launched ballistic missile traveled 1,500 kilometers before being intercepted by an Arrow-3 missile at 100 kilometers altitude. India’s vulnerability to similar long-range threats, particularly China’s hypersonic missiles and Pakistan’s Ababeel missile with multiple warheads, necessitates an OTH system like the Voronezh. The radar’s ability to detect stealth platforms, which rely on low-observable designs ineffective against VHF frequencies, addresses India’s concerns over China’s J-20 and J-35 fighters.
The Voronezh acquisition aligns with India’s “Make in India” initiative, with 60% of the radar’s components to be manufactured locally, potentially involving firms like Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Tata Advanced Systems. This localization, a standard feature of India’s defence contracts, as seen in the $720 million Akash SAM deal with Armenia, could create jobs, enhance indigenous radar expertise, and reduce lifecycle costs. The MoD’s 2024–25 budget of ?6.22 lakh crore, with ?1.72 lakh crore for capital acquisition, supports such high-value procurements, as per The Economic Times.
However, the $4.5 billion price tag poses challenges, especially amid competing priorities like the Su-57E fighter and Akash-NG deployments. The deal’s financial feasibility hinges on a government-to-government (G2G) framework, potentially leveraging rupee-rouble trade to bypass Western sanctions on Russia, though CAATSA risks remain, as noted in discussions around India’s S-400 deal.
Geopolitically, the radar strengthens India’s deterrence against China and Pakistan, enhancing its role in the Quad and Indo-Pacific security frameworks. Covering the IOR, it could monitor Chinese naval movements, including the PLA Navy’s Djibouti base, and support India’s maritime security initiatives, as outlined in the 2024 Quad Summit. For Russia, the deal reinforces its defence partnership with India, with Rostec officials reportedly offering technology transfer to sweeten the proposal, per India Today.
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